Hike to Bis Waterfall

Hi, here I am again at last with a new article about Guadeloupe. I have to say that, as I often say, when you live there, especially on an island, you do not necessarily always take the time to discover enough of the spots you do not know. You are simply caught up in your daily routine: work, kids, school, the house… anyway, you know the drill.

So, at the end of 2025, we decided to go spend three days in the north of the island of Basse-Terre, in the town of Deshaies. It had been a long time since Melanie really wanted to rediscover this area a bit, since we do not know it all that well. You have to say it is more than an hour and a half drive from our place and, honestly, we do not always have the motivation to go!

Anyway, I decided to pick up my pen again—well, my keyboard—to write you an article dedicated to hiking in Guadeloupe, to the famous Bis Waterfall, a waterfall that is becoming more and more well-known and that you see more and more on Instagram.

As we will quickly realize, it is a hike whose name has been coming up more and more lately on social media. I have to say I talk about it like a hike, but to be completely honest, I would say it is more of a short walk, since it only takes about twenty minutes to get there and there is not really any particular difficulty. Anyway, we are coming back from our weekend in Deshaies by taking the north Basse-Terre road to the town of Sainte-Rose, then we head, without too much difficulty thanks to the GPS, toward the famous Bis Waterfall.

When you arrive, you will find a spot where you can park a good ten cars. Unfortunately, when we arrive around 11 a.m., the parking lot is almost already full. Even though we do pretty well and find a little place to park, I clearly recommend coming early in the morning, ideally before 8 a.m., especially if you want to avoid the crowd that can be there at the end. Anyway, we take the path that goes up toward the mountain, right next to the “tourist umbrella,” as I like to call it. We walk a few minutes under a beautiful sun and everyone is happy. You have to say that with the recent work on the house, we are taking less and less time to go hiking, and that is honestly a shame.

A few minutes after the start, we reach a fork with two paths: one goes straight toward the mountain, the other heads off to the right, toward the forest. That is the one you need to take. The path is flat and easy, it goes past a few beautiful trees and pretty flowers, nothing too crazy either compared to what you can see on other much longer and deeper hikes in Guadeloupe.

Luckily for us, it has not rained for almost a week in the area, or only a few drops. The ground is therefore dry, which is clearly different from the hikes we are used to, where we usually end up soaked to the bone and always watching where we step so we do not slip. We very quickly go down a small clay section. Honestly, today it is really very dry, but I have already dealt with this type of ground when it is damp or wet, and it is clearly very slippery. So you really will need to be careful not to slip (I almost smashed my camera like that last year!).

We then reach a first river crossing of a branch of the Boucan River, and it is honestly already very beautiful, with little mini waterfalls on the side and a very calm setting. There is no one around us, we are at peace. And even though there were about ten cars at the start, we can guess that the people are very likely already at the end. A few minutes later, we reach the most delicate section of the route. Between us, it is really the only part where you will need to be careful. Once again, everything was dry when we went through, so it goes pretty smoothly. But if it rains, I really recommend being careful.

It is a nice descent in clay, the same type of ground as the one encountered a few minutes earlier, very slippery, all set up in a fairly basic way with ropes that are honestly in pretty rough shape. If it rains, it must be a real skating rink, and clearly dangerous to go down here. Still, the kids get through this section with no problem at all. When we get to the bottom, the setting is really nice, with several small pieces of wood placed here and there by hikers to help cross a really muddy area.

Two minutes after this descent, we already arrive at Bis Waterfall. I told you: it is not a hike, it is a simple walk, perfect for those whose legs are still a bit heavy after the holidays, haha. As we suspected, when we arrive, there are easily a good fifteen people. Melanie really makes me laugh by saying that it is ultimately the “new Ecrevisses Waterfall.” It can make you smile because, obviously, even though Ecrevisses Waterfall, located on the Route de la Traversee, is a very nice little waterfall in itself, it can literally be packed with people because it is so easy to access. We honestly are a bit afraid it will go the same way here, even if there is that big descent in the clay area that will still limit some people. The spot has become very “Instagrammable” recently and you have to say there are really few difficulties, aside from this section with ropes.

On site, you can see a very beautiful waterfall about ten meters high at most, with a very pretty pool at its base, nice and bright, surrounded by very distinctive vegetation, with beautiful large leaves. And that is honestly nice to see. If you ignore the bimbos and the people who came to take photos for Instagram, the place is still really pleasant. It is even a double waterfall, with a huge central boulder, which makes the spot pretty cool.

In the end, we decide to eat on site, because we had planned the meal. And then, you know what, people do not stay very long: they come here for ten or fifteen minutes at most, take three photos, sometimes go for a swim for some, and leave very quickly. There was even a moment when we found ourselves almost alone, so yes, it is possible. But I will say it again, the ideal is really to come very early in the morning to enjoy the place without too many people.

In any case, we spend a good hour relaxing quietly by the river on our pareo. The kids play like crazy with the water, the waterfalls, sticks, and rocks. And clearly, they do not need much, but I am almost certain they have even more fun with that than with some toys they got for Christmas. I complain, but it is probably true. Anyway, an hour later, we head back up toward the car, without any trouble. We really enjoyed it.

A few words about our final impression. I would say I am still a bit mixed. The spot is really nice, but you have to manage to ignore the number of people that can be there, and all the folks taking photos, filming, or creating content for social media. If you can get past that, then yes, it is still a very beautiful waterfall.

The pool is really beautiful, nice and bright, with pretty colors, and the whole setting is honestly pleasant. So it is a good option if you are looking for a quiet little walk, without overthinking something complicated. The path is well marked, there is not really any risk of getting lost, and access is simple overall. On the other hand, I would rather recommend going in dry weather. After heavy rain, the descent must be really slippery. Aside from that, it is still a nice little walk.

After that, if you are looking for hikes that are a bit longer or more immersive, I particularly recommend Paradise Waterfall, on the Vieux-Habitants side. And otherwise, in another style, Galion Falls is also really nice, at the foot of La Soufriere.

As usual, here are a few quick words for the practical section.

Of course, you will need to get to Guadeloupe. I suggest you refer to our article dedicated to everything you need to know to get to Guadeloupe, especially regarding prices and airlines. That will help you see things more clearly.

Once you are there, I really recommend renting a car, because it is clearly the easiest way to be independent. We especially recommend comparing prices on DiscoverCars, a rental company comparison site that we use regularly. Whether in the Caribbean, more recently in Costa Rica, in the United States, or in Canada, we often find some great deals there.

As for the airport, it is located between the town of Sainte-Rose and Le Lamentin, in the north of Basse-Terre. From Pointe-a-Pitre, plan on about 20 to 30 minutes of driving, depending on traffic. Anyway, nothing too complicated.

I especially recommend Saut des Trois Cornes, up in the hills above Sainte-Rose. It is a hike I did a long time ago, but I have not yet taken the time to write about it. There is also Lezarde Falls, right next door, very nice and clearly more natural.

I will stop here and see you soon for another walk!

Written by Sylvain PONS

Since 2021, I've been living in the Guadeloupe archipelago with Mélanie and our two children. We are exploring these beautiful islands and discovering the treasures that we are happy to share with you!

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